One of the founding principles of MLive Media Group when it launched in 2012 was “follow the audience.” I didn’t know that would include learning the latest dance moves through a social media app.
The audience is you, and the app that a lot of you have downloaded is TikTok. Staying true to our mission, MLive now is on TikTok, too.
As MLive’s vice president of content, I figured I should be as well – even if I am not part of TikTok’s target demographic. So count me among the 80 million monthly users of the app in the United States.
TikTok features short vertical videos made and uploaded by users, and it offers the ability to overlay clips of popular music, add text and graphics, edit yourself into the videos and more. If you’ve seen a viral video anywhere recently – dance moves, an athletic stunt, a magic trick – odds are it originated on TikTok. Even if you saw it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or even on TV.
Yeah, but that’s not news, right? It’s just a fad, right? Wrong, says Gillian Van Stratt, the director of audience development for MLive Media Group.
“If people are somewhere having the discussions about what's going on in the world, you have to go there. Right now, that's where the younger, more diverse audience is – on TikTok, a lot more than Facebook,” she said.
Facebook is a good analog for MLive’s foray into TikTok. Back in 2012, we put a lot of our resources and focus into building our websites. Social media was a small part of our overall audience. Around 2014, it began to skyrocket and today, MLive has 3 million followers, most of that on Facebook.
Our TikTok account has a relatively modest 2,300 followers at this writing, but we know what kind of growth potential it has.
“Gen Z and Gen Alpha definitely arenot going to be reached via email, they're not necessarily visiting (internet) home pages,” Van Stratt said. “You have to leap to where the people are first before it will make sense. And then boom, it gives right back to you.”
The person running our TikTok account does fit its demographic – Jamie Rewerts, a social media producer who graduated from Central Michigan University at the end of 2021. She was working at the campus newspaper when the staff decided to switch some of its popular content from YouTube to TikTok.
“’Students on the Street’ was a series we had for years on YouTube. We changed it to TikTok and they blew up. Everybody loved them and we saw an audience that we have never seen before,” Rewerts said.
While TikTok has a reputation for viral dance videos, its content has broadened to include political channels, cooking videos, DYI content and more. And that “more” includes the kind of news and feature content MLive is providing its followers.
Recent MLive TikToks include an explanation of “shrinkflation,” a visit to Fishtown in Leland, an introduction to Faygo ice cream flavors, and a guide to scenic trips through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
“I try to keep with what we know, and what we know people like is our Lovable Michigan (content),” Rewerts said. “But, also to serve the people and do our duty with Michigan news. I've seen likes and shares with both, so they work together hand in hand.”
Back in 2012, we didn’t know where our audience would take us, but you ultimately showed us the way. And as TikTok is showing, you still are.
“We received a comment the other day that was like, ‘I'm so glad I found you guys. I'm here because I was getting tired of Facebook,’” Rewerts said. “And that goes with brand recognition. I'm so glad to be a part of a team that knows where we have to move.”
🎧 On this episode of our Behind the Headlines podcast, John Hiner talks with Gillian Van Stratt and Jamie Rewerts about TikTok and the evolution of audience platforms. Listen here on Spotify.
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John Hiner is the vice president of content for MLive Media Group. If you have questions you’d like him to answer, or topics to explore, share your thoughts at editor@mlive.com.
